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It causes a person to worry intensely about making mistakes or not being good enough. As a result, a person with this phobia may avoid tasks they could get wrong. Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder that cause significant disruption in a person’s life. Although similar to perfectionism more generally, atelophobia is extreme and may cause difficulties at work and in relationships. Keep reading to learn more about the symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment of atelophobia, as well as how the condition differs from other phobias. What is atelophobia Share on PinterestKlaus Vedfelt/Getty ImagesAtelophobia is the fear of imperfection. It is a type of specific phobia, which are a group of anxiety disorders in which a person has a strong fear of a specific object, animal, place, or event. Atelophobia is similar to perfectionism, which is when a person pursues excellence due to a feeling they are not good enough or must always meet high standards. People with perfectionist tendencies tend to be excessively critical of themselves, which can negatively impact mental health. However, while perfectionism is common and can be mild, atelophobia is more extreme. For a person to meet the criteria for a phobia, their fear of imperfection must have a significant impact on their day-to-day life and ability to function. The fear may guide many or all of a person’s actions and decisions. Signs and symptoms of atelophobia The main symptom of atelophobia is an excessive fear of imperfection. Worries about being imperfect may dominate a person’s thoughts, making it hard to focus on anything else. This may cause a person to feel:stressedafraidpanickedburned outangry or irritablesad People with atelophobia can also feel:extremely sensitive to criticismunable to cope with conflict or pressurea need for constant reassuranceemotionally detached from others As with other anxiety disorders, atelophobia can also cause physical symptoms, such as:increased heart raterapid or shallow breathingdry mouthsweatingchanges in appetitechanges in sleep Causes of atelophobia Doctors do not know the main cause of phobias. Sometimes, a person can identify a specific event that caused the fear. For example, a person with atelophobia may have made a mistake in the past that caused intense stress, resulting in a long-term fear of imperfection. This type of event is known as a trauma. However, not everyone with a phobia can trace their fear back to a specific traumatic event. Other factors that may play a role include:having a panic attack in a specific situationwitnessing another person experiencing harm due to a certain activity or eventhearing a tragic story involving a certain object or activity Sometimes, atelophobia may stem from a combination of factors. Atelophobia vs atichyphobia Atichyphobia is the fear of failure. It has some similarities to atelophobia, as people with atichyphobia may also fear making mistakes, have low self-esteem, and avoid pursuing tasks or goals. However, a person with atichyphobia is mainly concerned with the outcome of a task. If they feel a mistake seriously threatens their chances of success, it may cause them significant anxiety. But if they feel a mistake or flaw is unlikely to affect the result, it may not cause anxiety. In contrast, a person with atelophobia will fear any kind of mistake or flaw, as every perceived imperfection reinforces the underlying belief that they are not good enough as they are. Atelophobia vs social anxiety Social anxiety is a fear of judgement from others. This can make a person feel anxious in social situations, or when they feel others are watching them. Sometimes, people with social anxiety try to appear perfect in order to avoid this negative judgement. From the outside, this might look similar to atelophobia. However, the two conditions are different. People with social anxiety do not fear imperfection in itself, but rather the potential for others to notice it, and the social rejection or exclusion that may follow. People with atelophobia fear imperfection whether others perceive it or not. Diagnosing atelophobia Doctors generally base an atelophobia diagnosis on a person’s symptoms and their social, medical, or family history. They will do this by asking questions about how a person feels, and how their anxiety is affecting them. In some cases, they may suggest additional tests to rule out other causes for the symptoms, such as brain imaging scans or blood tests. Sometimes, atelophobia occurs alongside other conditions, such as depression or other anxiety disorders. A mental health examination can help diagnose these. Treatment for atelophobia Treating atelophobia takes time and perseverance. It may involve a combination of: Psychotherapy The main treatment for phobias is psychotherapy, or talk therapy. This tackles the underlying thoughts and beliefs that reinforce the phobia. There are many types of psychotherapy, but for phobias, doctors often recommend exposure therapy. This involves gradual exposures to the thing a person is afraid of, starting with small exposures and working towards bigger exposures. For example, a person might start off by sending an email with a small spelling mistake in it. When they feel comfortable doing that, and can see there are no serious consequences, they move onto the next exposure. Another option is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This teaches people to challenge unhelpful thoughts that contribute to their anxiety, eventually replacing them with more balanced ones. Lifestyle changes Lifestyle changes can sometimes help a person reduce anxiety in day-to-day life, and promote healthy coping methods when a person is feeling anxious. They may include:reducing or stopping caffeine intakegetting regular exercisetrying breathing exercisespracticing mindfulness meditation Learn more about coping with anxiety. Medications In some cases, doctors may prescribe medications to reduce the symptoms of atelophobia. Medications do not cure the condition, but they can make it easier to begin therapy or to carry out daily tasks. Learn more about anxiety medications. Summary Atelophobia is the fear of imperfection. It is more extreme than perfectionism and can cause an array of mental and physical symptoms. Doctors do not know the cause, but factors such as a prior traumatic experience may play a role. Atelophobia is somewhat similar to atichyphobia and social anxiety, as all three conditions can cause a person to fear making mistakes. However, they are distinct conditions. A doctor or mental health professional can make a diagnosis. Treatment may include exposure therapy, CBT, and lifestyle changes to cope with the symptoms. In some situations, a doctor may suggest medications. Last medically reviewed on September 21, 2022Anxiety / StressPsychology / Psychiatry 4 sourcescollapsedMedical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.Anxiety and phobias. (n.d.).https://www.anxiety.org/phobiasDi Fabio, A., et al. (2019). Perfectionism and a healthy attitude toward oneself: Could humor be a resource?https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6981714/Social anxiety disorder: More than just shyness. (2022). https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/social-anxiety-disorder-more-than-just-shynessSyed, A. (n.d.). Atelophobia.https://www.osmosis.org/answers/atelophobiaFEEDBACK:Medically reviewed by Bethany Juby, PsyD — By Mary West on September 21, 2022 Latest newsWhat sets 'SuperAgers' apart? 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